Machine-gun



J. S. JOHNSTON.

MACHINE GUN.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 13, 1915.

1,328,23@ Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

3 SHEET$SHEEI I.

WITNESSES INVENTOR JAMES S. JOH/VSTO/V BY mzm ATTORNEY L S. JOHNSTON.

MACHINE GUN.

APPLICAUON FILED MAR. 13. 1915. l gg Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

INVENTOR dA MES 5 JOHNSTON ATTORN EY J. S. JOHNSTON.

MACHINE GUN.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. :3 m5

Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

WITNESSES: I INVENTOR 2m4/M/4 /M JAM56 SJ/017N670 ATTORNEY JAMES S. OHNSTON, 0F ETICA, NEW YORK.

MAGHINEIGUN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

Application filed March is, 1915. Serial No. 14,226.

To all whom it may concemt:

Be it known that I, JAMES S. JOHNSTON,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Utica, in the county ofOneida and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Machine- Guns, of.

which the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawing. a

My invention relates to a machine gun and I declare the following to-bea full, clear,

concise, and exact-description thereof suflicient to enable any oneskilled in the art to which it appertains to. make and use the samereference being bad to the accompanying drawings in which like referencecharv acters refer to like parts throughout the specification. I

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, eficient machine gunadapted for both small arms and heavy artillery use,

' that can be fired very rapidly without foulshowing a vertical ing orover heating. Furthermore, the gun is provided with a plurality ofrevoluble barrels and with revoluble feeding drums which feed thecartridges into position to beexploded by the firing pins and thenceprojected through the barrels, as the same come into 'alinement with thecartridge receiving chambers of the revoluble feeding drums.

This object will be understood-by referring to the drawings in whichperspective view of the gun;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the gun, showing the same with the barrelsdisposed at an angle;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the gun, A section of the forward casingor muflier;

Fig. 4: is a plan view of the-gun, showing parts in section;

crank handle employe Fig. 5 is a perspective detail view of acylindrical feedirig drum somewhat enlarged; 4

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective detail view of a ratchet employed;

.Fig. 7 is a; fragmentary view of a cartridge belt, showing cartridgesdisposed therein;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged perspective view' of a firing pin employedt Fig. 9is an enlargd side elevation of a cartridge used;

Fig. 10, is a detail perspective view of a Figure 1 is a A Fig. 11 is anenlarged perspective view of' a feeding drum, arbor and fragment of theV ings, the barrels of the gun are represented.

by -1- and are rigidly attached at their outer ends to the disk 2,shouldered at 3 for the mounting of a hollow cylindrical casing ormuflier 4. The opposite ends of the barrels l are attachedin a securemanner to the flange portion 5 of the feeding drum 7 so as to turntherewith. The flange 5 has the apertures 6 which are the continuationof the bores of the barrels l and aline with the cartridge receivingchambers 22, adapted to conform to the shape of an ordinary cartridge,formed in the peripheral surface of the feeding drum 7. The flange 5 isrevolubly mounted in the bearing 8 having the balls 9 disposed 'in theracewa 90 of the-plate 10, fixed to the easing 11 y the bolts 12. Thecasing 11 is pro vided with a wall 13 having bearings for the enlargedportion 14 of the flange 5 and for the outer ends of the arbors l5 and16. The

formed therein the cartridge chambers 20. A

The chambers 20 of the auxiliary feeding drums 17 and 18 furnish thecomplementary part to the correspondingly shaped ehamers 22 of thecenter cylindrical feeding drum 7, which has a central orifice formounting the same in a rigid manner upon the arbor 2 f. so as to turntherewith.

The center cylindrical feeding drum 7 and the auxiliary cylindricalfeeding drums 17 and 18 are revolved in unison whereby the chambers 20of the auxiliary feeding drums 17 and 18 and those 22 of the, centralfeeding drum 7 will be brought in 1pairs successively into complementaryre ation' for the completehousing of-the cartridges 21 by the spur gears31, 32 and 33 keyed or otherwise fixed to the outer ends of the ar- '0the hot'air from the barrels land the bors 15, 24 and 16, respectively.The spur gears 31, 32 and 33 are in mesh with each other in train andare actuated by a smaller spur gear 35 rigidly mounted upon a shaft 36,secured in a loose bearing in the casing 37. The smallerspur gear 35meshes wit the spur gear 32 and is driven inturn by the pinion spur gear38 mounted to revolve with the shaft 39 of the electric motor 40.

The casing 37 furnishes bearings for the inner ends of the arbors 15, 16and 24.

' There are mounted upon the arbors 15 and 16, the ratchets 41 and 42,respectively, which turn with the said arbors and when assembled liepartially within the recesses 43 formed in the ends of the auxiliarycylindrical feeding drums 17 and 18, so that the teeth 44 project alittle beyond the recesses and outer edge of the said feeding drums 17and 18. The teeth 44 of the ratchets 41 and 42 are engaged by thedetents 45, de-

pending from the ends 46 of the firing pins 47, urged normally towardthe cartridge receiving chambers 20 and 22, as the same come intocomplementary relation,- by the coiled spring 50 bearing at one endagainst the heads 46 of the firing pins 47 and at the the detents 45behind the elevations of the.

other against the walls of the casing 37; The points 48 of the firingpins 47 will strike, when permitted to do so by the dropping of teeth 44of the ratchets 41 and 42, the primers 49 of the cartridges 21 toexplode the same. The inner bores of the barrels 1- are provided withspiral grooves or turns,

whereby to cause the projected bullets to revolvein their flight, as isyvell known in the art; 1

The arbor 24 is provided with a central cylindricalcrecess, which iscontinuous thro h the ieeding drum '7 and flange 5,

and a apted for the reception of a long bar other.

or shaft havin a loose bearing in said arbor-24 at one en and in thedisk 3 at the The end of the shaft 60 adjacent the y muzzle ofthe gunsupports, a fan 61, which is disposed within the casing or muffler .4

and clears the range of the barrels 1--.

The fan'61 is revolved, whereby to draw feeding drums 7, 17 and 18 forcooling urably held to the casing 37, which is shouldered at 76 for thereception of the adjacent edge of the casing 11, by the bolts 12.

aeaaaae The casing 37 is provided with the trunnions 50, having loosebearings in the upper ends of the standards 51, secured at their lowerportions by bolts or other suitable means to the dial 52, mounted uponthe base 53 having a shoulder 54 and raceways 55 and 56 for the balls57. This mounting of the gun permits the same to be moved to any degreein a horizontal or perpendicular plane, whereby the muzzle may bedirected toward an object in any position with reference to the gun.

zle of the same in any given direction.

The operation of the firearm is effected by first loading the cartridges21 into the metallic belts 66 which are provided with the slits 67, 68and 69 for the purpose. The rear edges of the belts 66 are turned downslightly at 91, whereby to engage the grooves 70 formed in thecartridges 21 adjacent the primers 49 .thereof, so as to prevent saidcartridges from bein jarred loose from the belts 66. One of t e 'belts66 is then fed upward from below between the feeding drums l8 and 7 andthe other from above downward between the feedin drums 17 and 7. Thegunis positioned or shooting. The front sight 100 and the rear sight 101being used to secure the proper range. The

inotor 40 is started, or if a manual operation is preferred, the pinion38 can be pushed clear of the spur gear 35, which may be re- 1 volved bya crank .75 having a socket for detachably engaging the squared end 92of the shaft 36, whereby to revolve the spur gear 35 and, therefore, thegears 31, 32 and 33. The revolution of the gears 31, 32 and 33 willcause the feeding drums 7, 17 and 18 to turn and thereby automaticallydraw the cartridge belts 66 and the cartridges 21 A handle 58 is mountedI to the side of the gun for holding the muztherein along to the firing,position, which occurs as the chambers 22 of the center feeding drum 7and the corresponding chambers 20 of the auxiliary feeding drums 17 and18 come into complementary relation oppo site or in prolongation" of thecorresponding bores ofthe barrels the revolution of the feeding drums 7,17 and 18, the primers o the two cartridges 21 will be strucksimultaneously by the heads 46 of the two firlng' pins 47, which areurged forward normall by the coiled springs 50,

as the detents 4 drop into the depressions 80 of the ratchets 41. Hencethe bullets.

from'the cartridges 21 will be discharged through two of the barrels 1,located diametrically opposite each other, synchronously, while theother six barrels l are allowed to cool. As the barrels -1, feedingdrums 7, 17 and 18', revolve continuously, the bullets will be pfojectedthrough the said barrels --1 in pairs successively.

The base 53 is adapted for mounting'upon any suitable foundation, ifdesired-to use At this point inmaaaso the invention as a stationary gun,however, it can be attached to the chassis of an automobile for use inmilitary field service.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine gun, barrels for the projection of bullets, cylindricalfeeding drums having cha-nibers for the reception of cartridges, holesin said drums for cooling purposes, gears for revolving said barrels andfeeding drums, firing ,pins actuated by ratchets and springs fordischarging said cartridges, whereby the bullets thereof will beprojected through certain of said barrels simultaneously, mechanicalmeans for cooling said-gun, and a revoluble dial for mount ing'the same;

In a machine gun, a plurality of barrels adapted for the projection ofbullets, cylindrical feeding drums having chambers for the reception ofcartridges, arbors for mounting said feeding drums, gears attached torevolve with said arbors, means for actuating said gears, whereby tobring the cartridges into firing position, firing pins for explodingsaid cartridges, ratchets and springs for actuating said firing pins, ashaft disposed in a recess within one of said arbors, a fan attached tothe end of said shaft, and an electric motor for revolving said shaftand fan to cool the gun.

In testimony whereof I have aifixed my signature in the presence of twowitnesses. c JAMES'S. JOHNSTON.

Witnesses:

T. L. WILDnR, SAMUEL SLOAN.

